Chapter 119

Chapter 119 SERAPHINA The silence in the Flamehart guest chambers was suffocating. The walls were too white, too pristine, like they were trying to hide the blood that once stained them. I stood by the window, watching the storm clouds gather over the horizon. The thunder in the distance echoed the turmoil inside me. Kaelos hadn’t returned since the meeting with the Southern Council. Ruvan had left earlier to coordinate security with Esra. Callista was resting, exhausted after helping me decipher the remnants of the corrupted prophecy. And I—I was left alone with the weight of decisions I hadn't asked to carry. A knock broke the quiet. “Come in,” I said, not turning away from the window. Kaelos stepped inside, rain dripping from his cloak, his hair damp and eyes darker than usual. “We need to talk.” I nodded once, still not facing him. “You went alone.” “I had to. The Southerners wouldn’t speak openly with both of us present.” “And?” I asked. “They’re scared,” he said. “Cassian’s move